Mumbai Monorail

Coordinates: 19°03′41″N 72°53′51″E / 19.061505222785648°N 72.89758548319413°E / 19.061505222785648; 72.89758548319413
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

MMRDA
Mumbai Suburban
LocaleMumbai, Maharashtra, India
Transit typeStraddle-beam monorail
Number of lines1
Line number1
Number of stations17
Daily ridership10,000-17,000(pre-covid)
HeadquartersMumbai, Maharashtra
Operation
Began operation2 February 2014; 10 years ago (2 February 2014)
Operator(s)MMRDA Mumbai Monorail
Rolling stockScomi (6)
Medha Servo (10)
Number of vehicles10
Train length4 coaches
Headway
  • 3 minutes (planned)
  • 45 minutes
Technical
System length19.54 km (12.14 mi)[1]
No. of tracks2
Electrification750 V DC Third rail
Average speed32 km/h (20 mph)
Top speed80 km/h (50 mph)

MMRDA Mumbai Monorail is a

public transport in the city. The project is operated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). In March 2023, after an uptick in ridership, the MMRDA ordered 10 new trains for the route.[2]

The monorail, as its name suggests, runs on a narrow, single track. A lightweight structure allows the trains to navigate sharp turns in congested urban areas.[3] The Mumbai monorail is the first in India since the Kundala Valley Railways and the Patiala State Monorail Trainways were closed in the 1920s.

The monorail runs from Chembur in the city's eastern suburbs to Sant Ghadge Maharaj Chowk at Mahalaxmi in south Mumbai, effectively connecting the city's harbour line, central line and western line.[4] The system began commercial operation in 2014.

Monorail tickets cost between ₹10 and ₹40.[5]

History

Background

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) first proposed a monorail in 2005.[6]

On 11 November 2008, Larsen and Toubro partnered with the Malaysian company

Jacob Circle, Wadala and Mahul via Chembur, providing a feeder service to the existing Mumbai Suburban Railway.[8]
However, nothing concrete came out of the notification for many years.

In mid-2018, a dispute arose between the MMRDA and the Malaysian company LTSE, with both parties attempting to end the contract with each other. LTSE, which was reportedly defaulting on the contract on multiple counts, wrote to the MMRDA stating that its responsibilities were over, while the MMRDA was trying to end the contract with the Malaysian operator.[9]

The contract with LTSE was finally ended in December 2018.

bus service operating in the city plied crowded and narrow areas at very slow speeds, thus offering no benefits to the commuters and adding to the traffic congestion. The MMRDA stated that the monorail would connect many parts of the city which were not connected by suburban rail system or the proposed metro rail system. The agency also stated that the monorail would be an efficient feeder transit to the metro and suburban rail systems offering efficient, safe, air-conditioned, comfortable and affordable public transport to commuters.[11]

The cost of the monorail service was estimated in 2010 to be 2.0 billion (roughly 850 million (US$11 million) per km). Approximately 135 kilometres (84 mi) of line is planned to be built in phases between 2011 and 2031.[12] The monorail service along with the metro lines have been reported to have incurred losses.[13]

Construction

Then Maharashtra Chief Minister

Right to Information (RTI) request filed by RTI activist Anil Galgali revealed that the three-year delay in commissioning the monorail was primarily due to change of alignment of its route, which led to further cost escalation of the project.[20]

A 108-meter test run was successfully conducted on 26 January 2010.[21] A one-kilometer test run from Wadala to the Bhakti Park monorail station was undertaken on 18 February 2012.[22] The first test run of the entire route was conducted by the MMRDA in November 2012.[16]

In late December 2013, the MMRDA announced that it had submitted an application to Safety Certification Authority (Engineer) for the Chembur-Wadala stretch. The Safety Certification Authority goes through the documents, and physically inspects the corridor, and commercial operations can commence only after receiving its approval.[23] The electrical systems were certified by the Electrical Inspector General.[22] The contractor, the consortium of L&T and Scomi Engineering, had safety checks performed by an independent inspector. Official safety checks were performed by SMRT Corp of Singapore and R.C. Garg, retired Commissioner of Railway Safety.[24] The final safety certificate was issued on 20 January.[25][26] The safety certificate was then forwarded to the State Government, which issued a notification for commissioning the system. The notification contains norms for operation and maintenance of the system, which requires approval from the Chief Minister.[27]

Opening

Mumbai Monorail trains parked at Wadala Depot station

Line 1 was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on 1 February 2014 at the Wadala Depot monorail station. After flagging off the first monorail train at 3:47 p.m., Chavan along with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and other officials rode the entire route, arriving at Chembur monorail station, 20 minutes later.[28][29][30][31] The party then proceeded to Gandhi Maidan, 15th Road, Chembur (East), where the Chavan declared the monorail "open".[32] The monorail was opened to the public the following day,[33] with the first trip commencing from Wadala Depot at 7:08 a.m.[34] According to the MMRDA, it had very few passengers, as the gates were opened to the public only at 7:10 am, when the train had already left.[35] The first train from the opposite side, departed Chembur at 7:10 am[36] Services had been scheduled to operate until 3:00 p.m., however, station doors were closed by 2:30 p.m. due to larger than expected ridership. Services were operated until 4:30 p.m., in order to provide a ride to everyone who had purchased a ticket.[37] On opening day, 19,678 passengers travelled on the line. Sixty-six services were operated on the first day,[38] netting a revenue of 2.2 lakh (US$2,800) through the sale of tickets and smart cards.[34][39][40]

In the first week of operations (2–8 February 2014), the monorail transported 1,36,865 passengers in about 512 trips, earning a total revenue of 1,424,810. A total of 132,523 tokens and 1409 smart cards were also sold during the first week.[41][42][43] According to the MMRDA, between 2 February and 1 March, a total of 458,871 commuters used the monorail, generating a total revenue 4,466,522.[44] The monorail was closed for the first time on 17 March 2014 due to Holi.[45]

Years of delays later, Phase 2 was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 3 March 2019.[46]

Plan

The Mumbai Monorail master plan proposed the construction of 8 lines at a cost of 202.96 billion (US$2.5 billion).[47]

Phase Line Corridor Length (km) Estimated cost
Phase I 1
Jacob Circle
19.54 27.16 billion (US$340 million)
2 MulundGoregaonBorivali 30 41.7 billion (US$520 million)
4 Lokhandwala–SEEPZKanjurmarg 13.14 18,265 million (US$230 million)
5 ThaneMira-BhayandarDahisar 24.25 33,708 million (US$420 million)
Phase II 6
Kalyan–UlhasnagarDombivli
26.40 36,696 million (US$460 million)
7
Kopar Khairane
16.72 36,863 million (US$460 million)
8
Shil Phata
–Kalyan
21.10 29,329 million (US$370 million)

In September 2011, the MMRDA said that did not have an immediate plan to begin construction of a second monorail line in the region.[48] They clarified that although it did not mean that they are not interested in carrying out the project, it may not follow the currently planned schedule. An MMRDA official stated, "There is no point in going for new routes. As long as the first route is not commissioned and the results are not out, we would not commission any new routes. MMRDA feels the need for a monorail would arise after all the proposed metro rail routes were commissioned with the monorail serving as a feeder service."[49]

In 2009, the MMRDA proposed the construction of an additional line on the Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan route. The route was proposed to have a station at every kilometer, cost 3,750 crore (equivalent to 94 billion or US$1.2 billion in 2023) and be implemented on public-private partnership basis. It was further proposed to extend the corridor from Kalyan to Badlapur in the next phase.[50] This project was shelved by the MMRDA in February 2014. The proposed corridor would have been 23.75 km long, and cost approximately 3,169 crore.[51]

Further development of the monorail system is on hold, and questions have been raised as to whether the proposed monorail corridors will have sufficient capacity to meet Mumbai's requirements.

Bangalore.[53][54][55]

Line 1

Phase 1 of Line 1 on Mumbai map

Line 1 connects

Wadala Depot, and was opened to the public on 2 February 2014. An extension for Line 1 consisting of 11 stations from Wadala Depot to Jacob Circle was built at a cost of 1,900 crore (US$240 million).[28] It suffered through delays due to shortage of functional monorail rakes.[60] Phase 2 finally opened on 3 March 2019.[61]

Infrastructure

Rolling stock

A train arriving
Interior view

The monorail uses

apple green, and ice blue in colour,[64] with black and white stripes.[58]

Each monorail train consists of four coaches with a combined passenger capacity of 568.[65][66] The low number of seats was to ensure that the flow of people in and out of the coach was not hampered.[67] Some sections of seats are reserved for pregnant women, the elderly and the differently-abled.[68] Handrails and handgrips are installed in coaches, within easy reach of all standing passengers. A 4-coach monorail train has a total length of 44.8 metres, and each coach weighs 15 tonnes.[69] All coaches are air-conditioned.[67] There are two CCTV cameras installed in each coach.[70]

Stations

The elevated stations can be reached via staircases and escalators.[58][71][72] Stations do not have any public toilets.[73] MMRDA Commissioner UPS Madan said, "Nowhere in the world are there public toilets at monorail stations. The monorail journey is a short one, so the provision of public toilets was not made when the plan for stations was chalked out."[74] All stations are equipped with baggage scanners, armed security guards at all stations entry points and CCTV cameras.[75] Personnel of the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC) are deployed at the stations.[76]

As part of the Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme (SATIS), the MMRDA announced in April 2017 that it would move all bus and taxi stands to a distance of about 40–50 metres away from the monorail stations. The MMRDA believes that the current location of the stand just next the stations results in traffic congestion and restricts movement of pedestrians.[77]

Depot and control centre

At Wadala, facilities were built on a 6.5-hectare site for administration and other operational needs.[78] The operation control centre is equipped with surveillance video feeds from CCTVs and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition), which monitors the power supply.[6] Vehicle and train washing specialist Smith Bros & Webb was awarded a contract to provide Britannia Train Wash plants for the Mumbai Monorail. Smith Bros & Webb designs and manufactures its own wash equipment under the brand name of Britannia.[79]

Safety and security

Every station on the line is equipped with metal detectors,

plainclothes are present inside trains, and real-time checks are conducted to curb criminal activities.[81] All stations have armed security guards at all entry points,[75] and personnel of the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC) are deployed at the stations.[76] All personnel manning the station premises are equipped with hand-held detectors. A bomb detection and disposal squad and a dog squad are also deployed at all stations.[81]

Train operators will be given breath analyser tests when they report for duty. Violations will be met with disciplinary action, fines, and possible civil charges.[82]

Operations

A Mumbai Monorail train at Bhakti Park station

Noise

According to studies conducted by the MMRDA during the monorail trial run, the trains produce between 65 to 85 decibels of noise, significantly lower than the 95 decibel noise level of a

BEST Bus.[83]

Speed

The monorail will have a top speed of 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph), an average speed of 65 kilometres per hour (40 mph)[4] and the overall speed including dwell time at stations would be around 31 kilometres per hour (19 mph).[12]

Frequency

The monorail initially operated from 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.[84] This was later expanded to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The full operating hours will be from 5 a.m. to midnight, starting by February 2015.[85] The MMRDA announced that Mumbai monorail from Wadala depot to Chembur will be running for 14 hours straight. The services would run from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a frequency of 15 minutes. Extended timing will also result in increase in number of monorail services per day from 64 to 112.

After Phase 2 opened, the schedule was changed to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a frequency of 45 minutes.[86][61]

Future

There have been calls among several experts to extend the Mumbai Monorail Line 1, but there are no specific plans to expand the system.[87]

Network map

Map


See also

References

  1. ^ "Water transport slips out of MMRDA's hands". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  2. ^ Mumbai's monorail sees uptick in ridership but commuters still prefer taking metro, here's why. Financial Express. 28 March 2023.
  3. ^ Monorail: Mumbai's new travel option. Traffic Infra Tech Magazine. 10 September 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Mumbai monorail to run in two years". The Times of India. 27 September 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  5. ^ Agarwal, Somya (16 September 2023). "World's seventh-largest & India's first, here's all you need to know about Mumbai Monorail". Knocksense. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "India's first monorail readies for take-off". Livemint. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  7. ^ "Financial bids for Mumbai Monorail project open". Business Standard. 25 June 2008. Archived from the original on 31 December 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  8. ^ Devraj Dasgupta (14 August 2008). "Deshmukh makes way for 1st monorail project". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. TNN. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  9. ^ 175 Mumbai Monorail Staffers Sent on Unpaid Leave. Ateek Shaikh. dnaindia.com. 16 June 2018.
  10. ^ MMRDA terminates monorail contract with L&T-Scomi JV. Indian Express. 15 December 2018.
  11. ^ "Mumbai Monorail Project". MMRDA. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  12. ^ a b "Monorail integration with CR, WR and Harbour Line". Accommodation Times. 26 November 2010. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  13. ^ "Monorail's not going anywhere: 9 yrs down the line, losses mount to Rs 1.2k cr". The Times of India. 19 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Scomi to earn RM120m from Mumbai monorail works" (PDF). Business Times. 10 February 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  15. ^ "CM inaugurates the first Monorail project in Mumbai" (PDF). India Today. 10 February 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  16. ^ a b "End-to-end trial run of monorail conducted". Indian Express. 23 November 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  17. ^ "Mumbai monorail to be ready by Dec, Metro by March". 12 June 2012.
  18. DNA India
    . Mumbai. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  19. ^ Ateeq Shaikh (23 January 2014). "dna special: Cheers! You can enjoy monorail ride in Mumbai by month-end". DNA. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  20. ^ Anand Mishra (29 January 2014). "Delay due to changed route". The Asian Age. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  21. ^ "Trial run of monorail successful in Mumbai – Oneindia News". News.oneindia.in. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  22. ^ a b "Monorail takes its first ride around town". Mumbai Mirror. 19 February 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  23. ^ "Monorail goes for final safety test". The Times of India. 28 December 2013. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  24. ^ "Monorail just a step away from getting safety certificate". The Indian Express. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  25. ^ "It's all clear for monorail". The Indian Express. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  26. ^ "Monorail gets safety nod". The Times of India. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  27. ^ Ateeq Shaikh (21 January 2014). "Mumbai monorail clears safety signal, all set to roll". DNA. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  28. ^ a b "India's first Monorail rolls out in city". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  29. ^ "First mono runs crowded like the good old local". Mumbai Mirror. 1 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  30. ^ Ateeq Shaikh (1 February 2014). "India's first monorail flagged off by Maharashtra's Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan". DNA. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  31. ^ "India's first Monorail launched in Mumbai". Business Standard. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  32. ^ "Chavan inaugurates Mumbai Monorail". Indiablooms.com. 1 February 2014. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  33. ^ "India's first monorail starts journey". The Times of India. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  34. ^ a b "Joyride begins, nearly 20K take monorail on Day One". The Indian Express. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  35. ^ "Rs 1,100-cr Mumbai monorail stumbles on Re 1 coins". NDTV. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  36. ^ "Monorail riders thrilled at bird's eye view of Mumbai". The Times of India. 3 February 2014. Archived from the original on 5 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  37. ^ "20,000 ride Mumbai's monorail on Day 1". The Economic Times. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  38. ^ Ateeq Shaikh (4 February 2014). "Mumbai monorail: 19,600 have joyride on Day 2". DNA. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  39. ^ "Monorail fever grips Mumbai; carries 20,000 on Day 1". DNA. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  40. ^ Neha LM Tripathi (3 February 2014). "Senior citizens get bitten by monorail bug". Mid-Day. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  41. ^ "Mumbai monorail a hit, 136,000 use it in a week". Business Standard. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  42. ^ Anand Mishra (10 February 2014). "1.36 lakh passengers rode Mono in a week". The Asian Age. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  43. ^ "Monorail genuine clientele hits security hurdle". The Indian Express. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  44. ^ "30 days, 4.5l commuters in monorail". 3 March 2014.
  45. ^ "Megablock, no monorail on Monday - Times of India". The Times of India. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  46. ^ "Phase II of Mumbai Monorail from Wadala to Jacob's Circle to be inaugurated by Maharashtra CM". Times Now. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  47. ^ "Travel in city to get easier by 2021". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  48. ^ "MMRDA drops second monorail plan, for now". Daily News and Analysis. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  49. DNA India
    . 23 July 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  50. ^ "MMRDA expands Monorail landscape". Accommodation Times. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  51. ^ "MMRDA shelves plan for 2nd monorail corridor". indianexpress.com. 20 February 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  52. ^ "No new metro, monorail routes till 2021?". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013.
  53. ^ Bagri, Neha Thirani (3 February 2014). "India's 1st Monorail Opens in Mumbai to Much Fanfare and Doubt". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  54. ^ "Why Mumbai's new monorail seems to be built for real-estate developers rather than commuters - Scroll.in News". Scroll.in. February 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  55. ^ Rohith B R Bangalore (12 December 2008). "Light rail may score over monorail". Deccanherald.com. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  56. ^ Amit Chaturvedi (2 February 2014). "Mumbai monorail inaugurated by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan: 10-point cheatsheet". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  57. ^ "Mumbai: Monorail opens for public today". The Indian Express. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  58. ^ a b c "Mumbai celebrates world-class monorail". The Times of India. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  59. ^ Sukhada Tatke (26 January 2014). "Will it solve Mumbai's transport woes?". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  60. ^ "Monorail Phase 2 may open early next year: MMRDA". The Free Press Journal. 25 November 2018.
  61. ^ a b "Piyush Goyal and Devendra Fadnavis inaugurate Mumbai Monorail's second leg". Hindustan Times. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  62. ^ B.K. Sidhu (2 January 2010). "Mumbai debut for Scomi rail car". Thestar.com.my. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  63. Pune Mirror. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original
    on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  64. ^ "National Institute of Design enlivens interior for Mumbai monorail". The Times of India. 1 February 2014. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  65. ^ Ranjeet Jadhav (2 February 2014). "All aboard! India's first monorail begins operation in Mumbai". Mid-day.com. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  66. ^ "Mumbai's monorail: Key facts you want to know".
  67. ^ a b "In pics: Pink, blue, green - Mumbai's colourful Monorail". IBNLive. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  68. ^ "Transport for the facebook era". Business Standard. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  69. ^ "Mumbai Monorail: The future is here". Autocar India. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  70. ^ Anand Mishra. "In mono, tokens to serve as tickets". The Asian Age. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  71. ^ "Escalators at monorail stations only by March". The Times of India. 2 January 2014. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  72. ^ Ateeq Shaikh (2 January 2014). "No escalators at mono stations till monsoon in Mumbai". DNA. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  73. ^ "Monorail ready to roll out, teething troubles remain". The Indian Express. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  74. ^ "Why it would be tough to pinpoint the first monorail passenger - News". Mid-day.com. February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  75. ^ a b "Mumbai Monorail: India's First Monorail to Start Operations on Feb 1". TravelersToday. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  76. ^ a b Rahul Wadke (28 January 2014). "Mumbai monorail first phase to be ready soon | Business Line". Thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  77. ^ "Mumbai: MMRDA to make monorail corridor congestion free". mid-day. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  78. ^ "Hop on to the first Monorail this Sunday". Mid-Day. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  79. ^ "International Trade / Train wash specialist Smith Bros & Webb cleans up with international orders worth £2.5m". Thebusinessdesk.com. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  80. ^ "Disaster in waiting? Your monorail ride is under threat from tankers". Mid-day.com. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  81. ^ a b c "Mumbai monorail: Bomb squads and CCTVs secure stations". The Times of India. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  82. ^ Ateeq Shaikh (22 October 2013). "dna exclusive: Mumbai monorail captains will be subjected to breath-analyser tests | Latest News & Updates at". Dnaindia.com. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  83. ^ "Monorail quieter than BEST bus, say officials". DNA. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  84. ^ "Attention Mumbaikars! City's first monorail will soon be available between 7 am and 3 pm". Bhaskar. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  85. ^ "To start with, Monorail will run only for 8 hrs a day". Indian Express. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  86. ^ "6 Monorails defunct, commuters fume over frequency". 8 April 2019.
  87. ^ "Mumbai: MMRDA to get 10 Rakes for the 20 Km Monorail Project". Retrieved 22 September 2022.

External links

19°03′41″N 72°53′51″E / 19.061505222785648°N 72.89758548319413°E / 19.061505222785648; 72.89758548319413